Overview
- The Board of Control for Cricket in India has drawn up a plan to make warm-up matches compulsory on tours to South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia to give players more time to adjust to foreign conditions.
- Former India opener Aakash Chopra publicly backed the policy as a step forward but warned its benefit will depend on opponents fielding strong sides rather than second-team lineups.
- Chopra and other voices stressed that the plan must manage player workloads and injuries, singling out Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah as cases that will need careful monitoring.
- A high-level BCCI meeting that included Devajit Saikia, VVS Laxman and Gautam Gambhir set the directive for the FTP team to schedule meaningful acclimatisation fixtures before major SENA series.
- Supporters point to the old model of long England tours with county matches as precedent for effective preparation, while critics say modern scheduling and hosts using fringe players could blunt the gains the board seeks.